Here's the latest NBA star to miss the Olympics

Here's the latest NBA star to miss the Olympics

From Comcast SportsNet
MIAMI (AP) -- Chris Bosh is still hurting, and his Olympic plans are being pushed aside so he can heal. The Miami Heat forward told USA Basketball on Friday that he is withdrawing from consideration for the London Games so he can continue recovering from the strained abdominal muscle that sidelined him for a portion of his team's run to the NBA championship. Bosh announced the decision through agent Henry Thomas one day after Heat teammate Dwyane Wade pulled out of the Olympic mix because of looming left knee surgery. "This injury was a pretty serious one," Thomas said. "He was able to come back and play under the circumstances because he was trying to contribute to them winning a championship. There's still pain. There's still discomfort. And the real concern is if he doesn't rest and do the rehab associated with the injury, this could become sort of a chronic thing for him." Bosh made the decision after consulting with Heat team physician Dr. Harlan Selesnick and others. Bosh, who played for the "Redeem Team" that won gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, called USA Basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski and team chairman Jerry Colangelo on Friday to deliver the word. "He wanted to be part of it," Thomas said. "It was a great experience in 08. Feels like it could be another one. The exposure he would get being part of that team is something he would like. But at the end of the day, his health going forward is more important than all of those things." Heat President Pat Riley said after the NBA draft ended late Thursday night that the team was leaving the decision on whether to play in London up to Bosh. "It's based upon the need to rest and continue to rehab the injury," Thomas said. "He got his first taste of it in 08 and it was a great experience. But I think in talking to the doctors about it, they said you could play, but you'd be putting yourself at risk." With Wade and now Bosh out, there are 16 players left for 12 spots on the U.S. Olympic team -- with LeBron James the lone Heat player left on the national team roster. The team convenes in Las Vegas next week to start training camp, then has five exhibitions with international teams before opening Olympic play against France on July 29. USA Basketball plans to announce the Olympic roster around July 7. Bosh was injured late in the first half of Game 1 of Miami's second-round series against Indiana. He wound up missing nine games, returning late in the Eastern Conference title series against the Boston Celtics. Bosh scored 19 points in Miami's Game 7 win against the Celtics, sending the Heat into the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Bosh averaged 14.6 points and 9.4 rebounds in the title series, with Miami winning in five games. The championship completed an emotional two months for Bosh, who briefly left the Heat during their first-round series against New York in order to see the birth of his son. He dealt with the injury in the second round, and he and his wife mourned the death of a masseuse they employed later in the playoffs. "I think for all of us, especially for me, everything that I've been through, just fighting, just acting like I don't hear stuff, and just having the perseverance to keep pushing forward is just a sweet feeling," Bosh said last week when the Heat won the title. "I know a bunch of people made fun of me and said I was soft, but you can't be soft playing this game."

He didn’t land in New England, but he didn’t too badly, winding up with the usually competitive Ravens.

On a Thursday conference call with New England media, Weddle confirmed that there was mutual interest expressed.

“Obviously, I was interested,” he acknowledged. “I have nothing but high regard, respect and admiration – and envy, quite honestly – of the success of the New England Patriots over the years. Obviously, battling them in my career, it’s always been a great game. I love the way they play, love the foundation, love everything about it. It was definitely on my radar. There were talks both ways, it just didn’t end up [working out].”

The numbers massed at the position with Patrick Chung, Devin McCourty and Duron Harmon played a role in the two sides not being able to reach accord, according to Weddle.

“I’m good buddies with Patrick Chung,” he said. “I grew up playing with him and Devin [McCourty] is one of the best to play, so I don’t know if it would have worked out personnel-wise. But obviously, I could have seen myself fitting in there seamlessly.”

Weddle’s New England attraction apparently wasn’t love that bloomed late in his career. Toward the end of his conference call, Weddle said, “I’m still wondering why they just didn’t draft me in ’07; I could have been still playing there now.”

As reporters puzzled for a moment trying to recall the 2007 first-rounder, Weddle chipped in with the answer: “[They took] Brandon Meriweather.”

Khudobin simply ‘has got to be better’ for Bruins

Khudobin simply ‘has got to be better’ for Bruins

BOSTON – There wasn’t much for Anton Khudobin to say after it was all over on Thursday night.

The B’s backup netminder allowed four goals on 22 shots while looking like he was fighting the puck all night. It was one of the big reasons behind a tired-looking 4-2 loss to the lowly Colorado Avalanche at TD Garden.

The loss dropped Khudobin to 1-4-0 on the season and puts him at a 3.02 goals-against average and .888 save percentage this season. Three of the four goals beat Khudobin despite him getting a pretty good look at them. The ultimate game-winner in the second period from John Mitchell just beat him cleanly on the short side.

Matt Duchene beat Khudobin from the slot on a play that was a bad defense/bad goaltending combo platter to start the game and MacKinnon ripped a shorthanded bid past the Bruins netminder to put Boston in a hole against a woeful Colorado team.

Afterward, Khudobin didn’t have much to say, with just one good performance among five games played for the Black and Gold this season.

“Four goals is too much. That’s it,” said a to-the-point Khudobin, who was then asked how he felt headed into the game. “I don’t know; too much energy…yeah, too much. I don’t know. I just had a lot of energy and I think it just didn’t work out my way.”

Khudobin didn’t really expand on why he had too much energy, but perhaps it’s because the compacted schedule has really curtailed the team’s ability to hold team practices on a regular basis. Or maybe he was just disappointed it took him a week to get back between the pipes after playing his best game of the season against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Either way Claude Julien said that the Bruins needed better goaltending on a night where they weren’t at their sharpest physically or mentally, and Khudobin clearly wasn’t up to the challenge this time around.

“We needed some saves tonight and we didn’t get them. He’s got to be better. A lot of things here that we can be better at and take responsibility [for],” said Julien. “But at the same time, you got to move on here. To me it’s one of those nights that had we been smarter from the get go, and we would have had a chance. Now we’ve got to move forward.”

Clearly, the Bruins have no choice but to move on with a busy schedule that doesn’t let up anytime soon, but one of the lessons learned from Thursday night is that the Bruins need to get better backup goaltending from a collective crew (Zane McIntyre and Malcolm Subban included) that’s won just once in eight games behind Tuukka Rask this season.